Jeannette Etheredge with Luciano Pavarotti, (photo right), Etheredge has owned the Cafe for 30 years.

Jeannette Etheredge with Luciano Pavarotti, (photo right), Etheredge has owned the Cafe for 30 years.

Photo: The Chronicle

Image 7 of 9

Photo: The Chronicle

Image 8 of 9

Photo: The Chronicle

Image 9 of 9

Photo: The Chronicle

Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield are taking over Tosca Cafe

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You could say it started with Sean Penn.

Back in August, the feud between owner Jeannette Etheredge and landlord Roger Forbes at North Beach’s 92-year-old Tosca Cafebubbled to the surface, thanks to an eviction notice.

A well-publicized regular of Tosca, Penn saw the news in the paper and quickly called Ken Friedman, who opened the Spotted Pig with chef April Bloomfield in 2004. At the time, the Spotted Pig quickly became a hit, garnered a Michelin star, and has already evolved into one of New York’s most quintessential restaurants. Since then, Bloomfield and Friedman have opened several more restaurants, all in New York: The Breslin, the John Dory Oyster Bar and just last month, Salvation Taco. He’s also a partner in several other New York projects, like Monkey Bar, Locanda Verde and Rusty Knot.

“[Penn] said we gotta buy Tosca and save Jeannette’s job. I saw the story and I got on a plane the next day,” says Friedman.

When he got here, it went smoother than expected.

“I didn’t have to convince her [Etheredge] of anything. I told her we won’t do this deal if you’re not involved with it. From that moment, I think she decided to say no to the other offers.” And rest assured that many local bar owners were very interested.

Since August, the San Francisco institution has remained open, pouring its signature drinks amidst the red leather booths and jukebox. At the time of the controversy, Forbes said he was seeking a new tenant, with the desire to keep Tosca Cafe running.

Now, they’ve struck a deal with Etheredge and Forbes to take over Tosca Cafe. The Business Times first reported the deal last night, but we might as well share the full story, a situation which has had North Beach chattering for months now.

So yes, the name and branding will stay the same. The cocktail list will stay the same, as will the entire look and the strong majority of the decor. With Bloomfield at the helm, there will be an entirely new food menu though; as she points out, their New York restaurants have a sterling reputation for elevated bar food.

“We’re going to be a casual bar with small plates, with obviously an Italian twist,” says Bloomfield. “We’re going to keep it really simple, market driven, and just make delicious food in a casual environment.”

Friedman is no stranger to the Bay Area, having lived here for 10 years, and this won’t be Bloomfield’s first time cooking in a Bay Area restaurant — she spent a few months at Chez Panisse the summer prior to opening Spotted Pig. However, it’s likely she’ll draw more strongly from her four years of cooking Italian food at London’s iconic River Cafe.

She adds: “Basically we’re going to keep Tosca the same but upgrade it a little bit … We want to keep the heart of the place going.”

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The main change that the new regime will be on the physical side — and the one that will require Tosca to go dark for a few weeks — is rebuilding the kitchen, which hasn’t been used since the 60s.

Beyond that, the main task is, as Friedman puts it, fix the tiles and chandeliers that are broken, and basically ensure that it will be able to last another century: “The place is held together by Scotch Tape. The murals need work, everything needs work.”

In terms of timing, Friedman and Bloomfield will take possession when the liquor license goes through, which is still a moving target. When that happens, they’ll close for renovations and reopen within 2 months, or at least that’s the preliminary plan.

And with this foothold, don’t be surprised if Friedman and Bloomfield start looking at other properties in San Francisco, though that’s still on the back burner.

“Restaurants are like albums,” says Friedman, hearkening back to his past career in the music industry. “Your next album is your most important album. This is our most important project. If we fail at our first project in San Francisco, and if we take this most famous bar in San Francisco and f*** it up, we probably won’t get another chance in San Francisco.”

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In selling Tosca, the singular Ms. Etheredge will no longer be a partner, but Friedman says she’ll continue to be a welcome figure at the restaurant and — he hopes — will continue to throw her signature parties.

“What are the reasons that Tosca is iconic? It’s her, and the location,” says Friedman.